Jones Library Renovation and Expansion Project
Project Description Summary
September 2024
Prepared by Finegold Alexander Architects
This Project Description Summary outlines the key aspects of the Jones Library Renovation and Expansion Project design as reflected in the Construction Documents, September 2024.
- The design keeps the nearly 100-year-old building as the primary focus of the project, maintaining both the original Amity Street entry and elevation.
- The vast majority of surviving historic fabric will be retained while allowing the library to be renovated to meet modern library and accessibility standards.
- The new addition is located behind and no higher than the historic building utilizing a compatible material pallet.
- The architectural response includes major preservation of the remaining principal front and side facades of the original 1928 structure while creating a rear addition that does not exceed the height of the original. The design also incorporates a distinctive roof profile, projecting bays and dormers and a variety of window types – all inspired by the original 1928 Allen Cox design – but expressing a clear differentiation between the original and new structure. The addition utilizes compatible materials for the exterior – primarily red brick and a few areas of fiber-cement shiplap siding on the walls and standing seam metal roof – in a traditional construction approach. The combination, however, is a contemporary composition to enhance the patron’s experience through generous window openings, natural light and views. The project will integrate the original with the new addition in a seamless whole extending the life and quality of Allen Cox’s vision for Connecticut Valley architecture in the Jones Library.
- The north façade which has been considerably altered by the 1993 addition, will be incorporated into the new addition with minor changes. The north elevation will be exposed and displayed at the interior of the library.
- The new addition is setback approximately 110’ from Amity Street and will not impact the view of the principal historic south Amity Street façade of the original library building.
- The elevator headhouse is minimally visible from certain angles only. The elevator is required by code and is a critical piece of the circulation of the library and allowing access by all members of the community.
- The existing historic slate roofing dates to the building’s original construction in 1928. The slate shingles have reached the end of their serviceable expected life span. Deterioration of the slate roofing includes extensive broken and chipped slates missing their margins, cracked slates, loose slates, delamination, and poor-quality replacement slate. The failure of slate roofing has led to extensive water infiltration and damage throughout areas of the building. Buckingham slate is not available as a roofing product at this time. The proposed replacement material to be installed will be a synthetic slate which matches the appearance of the historic slate in size, shape, thickness, texture, and color.
- Retention will preserve most of the original building interior – walls and architectural woodwork, fireplaces and mantels, window trim, main entry hall and stairs, and significant spaces.
- Per the Amherst Historical Commission, the sashes at all windows in the existing original 1928 building will be replaced with thermally efficient new metal windows that will closely match the configuration of the historic wood windows.
- The existing east and west stairs in the 1928 building must be removed to accommodate the new plan layout without increasing the footprint of the addition. Further, the existing stairs do not meet code, they consume a very large footprint which would completely alter the proposed program and functionality in the new program spaces, and they are not continuous stairs to the upper floors. They will be replaced with a new code compliant stair.
- The only interior walls being removed in the 1928 building are those that will seriously alter the functional integrity of the building. Retention of these walls would jeopardize the MBLC funding.
The original document is posted on the Town's Section 106 Historic Preservation Review web page.
